australian television information archive

Future Shock

Episode 1.01
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Alana, a young girl living in the year 3000, is shocked to discover that her guardian, Tulista, is to be sent back in time 500 years to try to discover the causes of the "Great Disaster" which nearly destroyed all life on the planet. Tulista tells Alana that she will be gone for 28 days but it will only feel like a few moments to Alana. Alana gains entry to the restricted time laboratory to watch as Tulista is hurled back in time only to reappear seconds later, this time as the hostage of a sinister warrior, Silverthorn. When Tulista breaks free, Silverthorn takes Alana as his hostage and escapes back in time. Alana emerges from the time capsule to find herself lost in a strange world — the 1990s.

Starring: Katharine Cullen as Alana, Melissa Marshall as Jenny Kelly, James Findley as Petey Kelly, Andrew Clarke as James Rooney, Helen O'Connor as Irene Kelly, John Howard as Silverthorn, Miles Buchanan as Eddie

With: Helen Jones as Tulista, Pauline Chan as Arva, Monroe Reimers as Bruno

A Primitive and Dangerous Time

Episode 1.02
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Alana awakes in a dirty industrial area completely lost in a world she doesn't know. She knows that she has been sent back in time, but is not sure what year she is in. Hungry, she takes some fruit from a nearby fruit stall, not knowing that she is breaking the law, and is chased by the fruiterer to the back of the Kelly Deli where she meets Petey and Jenny Kelly, whose mother owns the shop. Alana tries to convinces a skeptical Jenny that she's from the future and the pair return to the rubbish dump where Alana landed where they find the time capsule being buried by a bulldozer.

With: Doreen Warburton as Mrs Bloomington, Wayne Pygram as Guard, Diedre Lassau as Bag Lady, Leigh Russell as Punk Boy, Belinda Burnet as Punk Girl, Andy Devine as Mr Corbett

Sactuary

Episode 1.03
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Jenny pushes Alana out of the way of the oncoming bulldozer, but Alana is knocked unconscious in the fall. Jenny leaves to find help, and when she returns later that night she finds Alana watching a hologram on PJ, her wrist computer. Jenny finally believes that Alana is from the future and invites Alana to stay with her family at the deli. Jenny's mum, Irene, finds the girls hiding out in the treehouse watching another holographic projection. Unconvinced Alana is actually from the future, Irene allows Alana to stay the night in the house only to walk into Jenny's bedroom and see Alana using her Transducer headband to levitate a doll. Alana is surprised and loses concentration, causing the doll to burst into flames.

With: Grant Dodwell as Mark Johnson, Helen Jones as Tulista, Mark McCann as Policeman, Len Kaserman as Scientist, uncredited as Bill

Sweetness and Fright

Episode 1.04
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Irene enrols Alana at Jenny's high school, telling Alana to pretend that she is Jenny's cousin from the country. Alana is introduced to Jenny's teacher, James, who is astonished by Alana's knowledge, as she constantly corrects him in class. Meanwhile, Jenny's little brother Petey steals Alana's Transducer to challenge the school bully and his gang to a fight. Jenny and Alana race to Petey's fort, arriving to see an energy bolt erupt from the Transducer and blow the fort up. As the kids start to head home, Silverthorn arrives in a limousine and kidnaps Alana.

With: Jeanie Drynan as Miss Durkin, David Owen as Boy, Melissa Tkautz as Maria, Kate McDonald as Leslie [uncredited], Haydon Samuels as Greg, Dene Kermond as Mate No 1, Adam Cockburn as Mate No 2, Janey Foye as Canteen Woman, James Trevelyn as Gary, Dan Chesterman as Gary's Mate

Don't Tell Mum

Episode 1.05
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

After telling Alana that the time capsule is buried in the dump and gone, Silverthorn explains to her his plan to control the world — but he needs her Transducer. With Jenny's help, Alana escapes, taking a photocopy of a newspaper Silverthorn had in his possession. The girls return to Jenny's home, and after an elaborate explanation for where they've been, Alana asks Jenny to destroy the Transducer to keep it out of Silverthorn's hands. The next morning, Alana recognises the front page of the newspaper as being identical to Silverthorn's photocopy. She realises that Silverthorn still has the time capsule and is using it to find out what is going to happen before it does — and making a tidy profit doing it. If Alana can find Silverthorn, she can find the capsule.

With: Doreen Warburton as Mrs Bloomington, Haydon Samuels as Greg, Dene Kermond as Greg's Mate, Adam Cockburn as Greg's Mate

Computer Games

Episode 1.06
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

During computer class, Alana uses PJ to trace the registration number of Silverthorn's limousine, and finds it registered to a company called Futures Incorporated. Alana and Jenny visit the offices of Futures Incorporated after school and hide away until after closing to try to find Silverthorn's home address. Alana is caught when Silverthorn returns but she tells Silverthorn that the time capsule will automatically return to the year 3000 in 28 days time, and asks to be allowed to return to her own time. Silverthorn is outraged that he could lose the time capsule but he collapses mysteriously, allowing the girls to escape.

With: Emily Lumbers as Angela, Melissa Tkautz as Maria, Kate McDonald as Leslie

Stake-Out

Episode 1.07
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Petey devises a plan to attach a punctured can of paint to Silverthorn's car so that it leaves a trail allowing Jenny to follow his limousine back to his house. Skipping school, Jenny, Alana, and Petey break in and overhear a meeting between Silverthorn and a politician to whom Silverthorn boasts he can make the most powerful man in the country. To prove his knowledge of the future, Silverthorn reveals to the politician that a disastrous tsunami in the Pacific Ocean will devastate island nations the next day. When the two men leave, Alana finds the time capsule hidden in a secret room behind the bookshelves in Silverthorn's library. Alana tries to use the capsule to return home but it won't let her leave for another 13 days.

With: Alton Harvey as Politician

Newsprobe

Episode 1.08
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Alana tells Irene and James about Silverthorn's prediction of the tsunami. James calls a reporter with the story, but the reporter doesn't believe him. However, when the tsunami occurs, the eager reporter comes to the deli with a film crew in search of a story. Alana uses her Transducer to try to prove to the reporter that she is from the future. After seeing the story on television, Silverthorn — who is struggling to find medical treatment for his illness — is dismayed to hear that there will be another news report on Alana the next night, during which she will reveal details about a man from the future with plans to control the Earth. Later that night, Silverthorn enters Jenny's bedroom and swaps Alana's Transducer for a fake.

With: Grant Dodwell as Mark Johnson, Doreen Warburton as Mrs Bloomington, Jillian O'Dowd as Mandy, Ray Duparc as Doctor, Neil Pigot as Cameraman [George], Richard Meredith as Soundman

Truth and Lies

Episode 1.09
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Alana appears on national television to demonstrate her Transducer before a group of experts but when it doesn't work, Alana quickly realises that it is a fake. Watching on tv, Silverthorn is thrilled to have discredited Alana but when he tries to use her Transducer, he is unable to control it. A police officer and a representative from the Department of Welfare arrive at the deli. They take Alana away, saying that she is a now ward of the state until her background can be sorted out. After arriving at the Home for Girls, a warder tells Alana that her guardian has arrived to take her home. Alana walks into the warder's office expecting to see Irene and Jenny, but is instead greeted by Silverthorn.

With: Grant Dodwell as Mark Johnson, Doreen Warburton as Mrs Bloomington, Robert Brunning as Mortimer, Jaye Paul as Blair, Jillian O'Dowd as Mandy, Christopher Stollery as Simon, Shane McNamara as Policeman, Denise Kirby as Mrs Biggins, Jane McDermott as Mrs Jenkins, Brenda Senders as Warder, Sarah Spillane as Debbie, Deborah Clay as Tess, Anthony Russell as Reporter, Honor Murphy as Reporter, Richard Harasty as Reporter

Betrayed

Episode 1.10
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

After bringing Alana back to his house, Silverthorn tells Alana that he has a fatal brain tumour, which she must cure with her Transducer if she wants to return to her own time. Realising Silverthorn has taken Alana from the girls' home, Irene and James take Jenny to see him. Silverthorn concocts an elaborate story about Alana being his troubled daughter and even has her admit she has been lying all along. Only Jenny refuses to believe Silverthorn's explanation. Despite successfully curing Silverthorne, Alana tries to return home only to find that Silverthorn has constructed a force field around the time capsule to prevent it from being used. The next morning, Alana spots Jenny watching the house and is able to smuggle her wrist computer PJ to Jenny by attaching it to a remote controlled car.

With: Jane McDermott as Mrs Jenkins, Melissa Tkautz as Maria, Kate McDonald as Leslie

Captain Zero Strikes Again

Episode 1.11
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

Jenny takes PJ back to the deli where she shows her mother Alana's holographic message pleading for help. After showing the message to Mr Rooney, the three, with Petey secretly following along, break into Silverthorn's home. Following a desperate struggle, they rescue Alana and drive back to the deli with the time capsule strapped to the roof of the car.

With: Jeanie Drynan as Miss Durkin, Doreen Warburton as Mrs Bloomington

Last Stand at Kelly Deli

Episode 1.12
Written by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson
Directed by Kathy Mueller

With the time capsule set to automatically return to the year 3000 in mere moments, the Kelly family prepares for Alana to return home just as Silverthorn and Eddie arrive to try to recapture the capsule. The Kellys tries to fortify the house so that Alana can make a safe departure in the capsule but Eddie crashes their car through the garage wall and the family is locked in the house while Silverthorn places another force field around the capsule to prevent it returning to the future. Having avoided capture, Petey helps his family escape allowing Alana to confront Silverthorn in front of the capsule. Using her Transducer, Alana overloads Silverthorn's force fields rendering him unconscious — but also injuring Jenny. Jenny is paralysed as a result and the only way she can be saved is to return to the year 3000 with Alana and Silverthorn…

With: Helen Jones as Tulista, Pauline Chan as Arva, Monroe Reimers as Bruno